Giving spirit
NFL linebacker brings food to the less fortunate
Kudos to Broncos linebacker Darrell Reid (left) for giving Thanksgiving turkeys and assorted trimmings, through his Footz Foundation charity, to 20 less fortunate Denver-area families Tuesday night, 48 hours before his team gobbled up
Eli Manning and the Giants, 26-6, on Thanksgiving. The 3-to-10-member families received additional food to make it through the holiday season.
The families are members of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver, Wilfley Branch.
“The look on the kids’ and families’ faces when I arrived and they got their baskets of food is something I’ll cherish for a lifetime,” Reid said. “I am truly blessed to come from a small town in New Jersey [Farmingdale] and have a platform like this to be able to help out those that are less fortunate.
“The point of Thanksgiving is to be thankful for everything in life and to share that with others,” Reid said. “It’s an honor and privilege to be able to help and give back to so many families and make a difference in their lives.”
Steiners are true STAR’s
Family Services of Westchester will honor sports collectibles guru Brandon Steiner and his wife Mara with the STAR Award (Strength, Teach and Reach Out to Youth) on Feb. 10 at Glen Island Harbour Club in New Rochelle.
Former Mets Doc Gooden and Mookie Wilson, former Giants and Jets stars Marty Lyons, George Martin, Joe Morris and Joe Klecko, and former Knick John Starks are expected at the gala benefit for the not-for-profit agency. The agency is dedicated to strengthening and supporting families, individuals, and children at every stage of life with a broad range of social and mental health services.
More than 30,000 people benefit annually from six family centers located around Westchester, schools and in many other community settings. Steiner serves on the FSW Board of Directors and his wife serves on the agency’s Big Brothers, Big Sisters Advisory Board.
To order tickets call Deborah Wilson at (914) 937-2320, ext. 116.
Wire-to-wire win for Steeler
Late Steelers patriarch Art Rooney Sr. had to be smiling from heaven’s racetrack when leading driver Jason Barlett drove the pacer named Steeler to a wire-to-wire victory in the eighth race at Yonkers Raceway on Tuesday night. Bartlett scored four wins at the historic half-mile oval and Empire City Casino, operated by Art’s son Timothy Rooney.
Bombers hailed as good sports
The Yankees were recognized as 2009 honorees at the 11th Annual National Sportsmanship Awards last weekend in St. Louis for their work with Camp Sundown during the organization’s inaugural HOPE Week.
A.J. Burnett and Jason Zillo, the Yankees’ media relations director, accepted the award, given by the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance and the St. Louis Sports Commission.
The National Sportsmanship Awards is the signature event of the Sports Commission’s Sportsmanship Initiative and aims to recognize athletes and personalities from across the nation for their integrity, class, selflessness, perseverance, kindness, community service and overall commitment to sportsmanship.
Founded by Caren and Dan Mahar, Camp Sundown in upstate New York is for children with Xeroderma Pigmentosum, a rare genetic disorder (approximately 300 in U.S. and 1,000 worldwide) that prevents those who have it from going outdoors in daylight. Any UV light, including fluorescent lighting, causes severe burns and eventually skin and eye cancer. Most patients do not live past the age of 20.
On July 23, 2009, the Yankees invited campers from Camp Sundown and their families to Yankee Stadium. Following the Yankees’ win against Oakland, the Stadium’s field was transformed into a massive open-air carnival, with music, food and children’s entertainers.
Campers and their families played on the field until approximately 4 a.m., when they had to re-board their bus in order to make it back to camp before daybreak. The award presentation will premiere on the CBS College Sports Network on Dec. 16 at 8 p.m., and re-air throughout the month.
Garden goodies for ‘Dream’ charity
Knicks and Rangers fans will have the opportunity to win autographed memorabilia tomorrow night and Wednesday night.
MSG Network will hold its annual telethons for each team, to raise money for the Garden of Dreams Foundation, which aids New York area kids in crisis.
The Rangers play the defending champion Penguins at the Garden tomorrow night, and throughout the evening on MSG’s telecast fans will be able to buy a $100 raffle ticket to win items such as autographed jerseys from Marian Gaborik and Mark Messier and dinner with Hall of Famer Rod Gilbert.
Two days later, the Knicks play in Orlando, and during the telecast fans can buy a raffle ticket to win Knicks-related items, including autographed game-worn sneakers, a chance to attend a Knicks practice and meet coach Mike D’Antoni and the Walt “Clyde” Frazier experience.
Fighting off the pounds
Now that Thanksgiving is over, the folks at Everlast are trying to help people beat back the extra pounds.
The New York-based boxing brand, entering its 100th year in 2010, has introduced its first new professional gloves in almost a century. They are partnered with 24 Hour Fitness for a Shadowboxing workout program and recently introduced branded equipment to go with the Wii Fitness system including gloves, weights and a balance board.
Series trophy tour
The Yankees are working on a schedule that will allow them to display the 2009 World Series trophy in various sites in the metropolitan area. The deal could include players posing with the trophy.
Though it’s not modeled along the lines of the Stanley Cup summer tour, when players borrow the Cup for trips, Alex Rodriguez has hinted he would like to bring the trophy to the Dominican Republic.
The Yankees will look into issues such as insuring the Tiffany-produced trophy before deciding if Rodriguez can do it.
